Playing Translator
by 2olluxampora
Summary: Kankri needs to go to East Beforus for a conference and enlists Damara to be his translator. Shenanigans ensue.


Damara was surprised that Kankri had decided to take a trip to East Beforus, and even more surprised when he asked her to be his translator. Leave it to one of her so-called friends to be too lazy to try and learn any of her language. Once she got past the annoyance though, she agreed. The two of them hadn't been matesprits for long, and this could be a great opportunity to spend time together and bond a little. She could show him her favorite places to go from when she was younger, they could explore together...It would be fun. His primary purpose for the trip was to go to some sort of social justice conference, but for the rest of the time they could have fun.

It was the second day of the trip when she came up with the idea. It was devious, rude, and exactly the sort of thing Damara would do. Kankri would undoubtedly start ranting and raving about triggers when he figured it out, but it would be worth it. The look on his face when he realized what exactly everyone around them thought he was saying would be priceless. The rustblooded girl made a mental note to try and get a picture of it.

Her little game started out small. When they stopped at a small market to buy lunch and Kankri took far too much time explaining to her that he wanted to know where the market owners got all this food, and if culled trolls were the ones to gather it, she gave the brownblood girl working the cash register a knowing look.

"He's saying that he finds you very attractive, but that I'm better. And that I'm surely a better partner for pailing as well. You need to try harder if you want a matesprit," she said in East Beforan, a completely serious look on her face. In a small show of possessiveness, Damara pressed closer to Kankri's side, taking his hand in her own. The brownblood blushed furiously, and sputtered for a few moments in an attempt to get the words out. Something about how Kankri was a rude, good-for-nothing cullee, and they needed to get out of her shop right that instant unless they wanted to be reported for harassment. Offering a faux-apologetic smile, Damara leaned in close to her matesprit.

"I think you catch her, she can't come up with good answer. We should look for better place to buy food," the rustblood murmured in the more general Beforan language. "Do not bother with trigger warnings, we just leave." Quickly, she ushered Kankri out the door and out of the market, not wanting to cause more of a scene. She couldn't get caught in the act that soon. Where would the fun be in that?

She did have to put up with the other ranting about various injustices for the rest of the evening though, which was something she really should have thought of beforehand. They took the time to visit some of her favorite parks and restaurants though, with the added perk of Kankri paying for the meals. The awful bluebloods he was stuck living with gave him plenty of spending money at least, even if they did check in on him multiple times per day. It was nothing short of a miracle that they had let him come at all. They probably wouldn't have if he had been going alone instead of with Damara.

Three days later, on their last full day in her home area, he figured it out. She had rarely seen Kankri's face go so red. Almost nervous that he might have an aneurysm and die in the middle of his speech on exactly how triggering her behavior was, she played with her hair and maintained the best poker face she could. It took no less than an hour and a half for him to finally run out of steam.

"Kankri, is not big deal. You never see these people again in life. Just game. Besides, I never said anything too bad." That last part was stretching the truth just a little, but it was important to appease the Cancer at the moment. He had no way of knowing precisely what she had said anyway. It was his own fault for not even trying to learn the language. They were alone in his hotel room, rather than a shared one, since he had insisted it was improper and had booked two adjoining rooms instead. Either way, they were alone, so Damara wouldn't have to face complaints about PDA. Smirking, she leaned in and kissed him, pulling away after just a few seconds.

"D-damara! I will have you know that kissing, or any form of physical contact, including but not limited to displays of affection are not acceptable forms of interrupting someone. For that matter, interruption in itself is extremely tr-." She silenced him with another kiss, rather pleased with herself.

"Interruption is good. So I do not have to listen to you talking. About your trigger warnings that nobody actually cares about. Calm down. Enjoy being here. For me." She gave Kankri her most innocent, pleading smile, knowing that he would give in. Sure enough, he scowled, but nodded, returning the kiss. They would definitely have stories to tell when they got home.


End file.
